Issues

Stage Details

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote on a motion to suspend paragraph 4, Rule XVI in order to consider an amendment that establishes a commission to examine the government's response to Hurricane Katrina and to suggest changes for the handling of future disasters.

Highlights:

Establishes an independent ten-person commission to report to Congress on the response to Hurricane Katrina within six months of enactment (Secs. 1, 10).

Mandates that the Chairman of the Commission shall be appointed by the President (Sec. 2).

Allows the Senate and House Democratic Leaders to appoint the Vice-Chair (Sec. 2).

Allows each party in the Senate to appoint two members (Sec. 2).

Allows each party's House Leadership to appoint two members (Sec. 2).

Specifies that no more than five members of the Commission may be from the same party (Sec. 2).

Clarifies that Commission members must not be officers or employees of Federal, State or local governments (Sec. 2).

Grants the Commission the power to subpoena a witness if they have the affirmative vote of six members of the Commission or the Chair and the Vice Chair are in agreement (Sec. 5).

This is not a vote on the passage of the amendment, but rather a vote to determine if the amendment violates senate rule XVI, #4. The rule requires that amendments to appropriation bills are relevant to the appropriation topic at hand and do not propose new general legislation.